Website Reviews That Support Student Interventions
In order for a website to support math interventions, I feel it must be easy for the students to
use independently, hold their attention for at least 10-15 minutes, and target the specific skill
being addressed. I examined many websites from the packet given to us in class, a list that the
computer aid at the Franklin School compiled, and one that I picked up in the computer lab at the
Angelo School. The three below were the ones that I found met the criteria listed above.
Mathplayground (www.mathplayground.com)
Mathplayground is a very versatile website that has many components. When using the site
for intervention purposes, the math game section is easy to navigate and has many games that
will help students practice their math facts. The games resemble video games and some can be
played by one or two students.
Balloon Invaders I and II show students a math fact. They have to locate it in the balloon and
pop it. This is a timed game, so this would be good to get students to work fast and practice
putting the facts into their long term memory.
There is also a flash card game. Students type in the answer. They get immediate feedback if
they are right or wrong, but it does not provide them with the correct answer if they are wrong.
I feel it would be helpful for the students to see what the correct answer is. When used as an
intervention, students could write down the ones they are getting wrong and later look them up in
a chart.
A popular one with the summer school students was Math Munchers. This game was very much
like the video game Pacman. Students race around the grid trying to munch the answer to a math
fact. All of the above games have difficulty levels and practice all operations of math facts.
Other games on this site that support other standards were Money Mania. This site gave students
coin riddles. Students could use this site along with play money to solve the coin riddles.
Students in summer school had to be encouraged to use the guess and check strategy with this
game.
Calculator Chaos resembled the broken calculator game that we use in the Investigations Ten
Minute Math.
Even though they would not be used for intervention purposes, this site has many logic games
such as Sudoku. These games are good for problem solving using both sides of the brain.
Factmonster (www.factmonster.com)
Factmonster is another good site for practicing all operations of math facts. Unlike
Mathplayground, this site gives positive feedback with stars for correct answers and bigger stars
when you get 20 problems correct. It also tells you the correct answer if you make a mistake. I
like this feature, because the student may remember the correct answer and put it into their
memory. When it doesn’t give the correct answer, often the students don’t take the time to look
up the right answer.
Another excellent link on this website is the Homework Helper link. You might overlook this,
but it has many excellent games. One that was particular user friendly was Fraction Café. Under
this section there are many fraction games that students can play on their own. Two that I
investigated were on fair shares and finding equivalent fractions. One thing you need to know is
that you need sound for these games. The Fraction Café game uses comic characters and relates
fractions to food. Students order pizza which is cut into different size slices. It is an excellent
way to visualize equivalent fractions.
APlus Math (www.aplusmath.com)
This was another user friendly website. Two sections that will help support intervention
strategies were flashcards and the game section.
The flashcards were large and easy to read. You can practice all operations, (+,-, x, /). The
computer gives positive feedback and corrects incorrect answers.
A good game was Planet Blaster. This was one that I didn’t see on other sites. Planet Blaster
has the students adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. It is good for doing mental math.
After doing the investigation Combining and Comparing where we have students look for
landmark numbers, this game would support that concept. Students can be encouraged to break
apart numbers to solve answers. (Ex: 47 + 19 can be changed mentally into 46 +20). The game
keeps students attention by having a rocket blast up to a planet.
Concentration was also a good game on this site. This helps with math facts and also memory.
It is also a game that most students are familiar with.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I found many good sites while doing my reviews. Many
sites offer similar games. In the end, I found these to be worth using. I will certainly use them
during the next school year. They were also “kid tested” by my summer school students who
looked forward to getting on them each day. One last thought, during summer school and I’m
sure it will be the same during the school year; the students who don’t have internet access at
home are the most enthusiastic about playing these games.